Thursday, February 25, 2010

In a submission to Parliament's Science and Technology Committee, which is investigating the disclosure of climate data from the unit, the university said it ''strongly rejected'' accusations that it had manipulated or selected figures to exaggerate global warming.

The university also denied suggestions that it had breached Freedom of Information rules by refusing to release raw data.

And it insisted the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) had not lost any primary data gathered from monitoring stations around the world.

According to the submission, allegations that scientists hid flaws and research findings were the result of misunderstandings of technical jargon or statistical analysis.

On the other hand, I have been contacted by someone in the University, who tells me of a lecturer there in a scientific discipline, who told her students "that there were now nearly 50 people employed by the CRU (up from 5 or 6 10-15 years ago) and that, for them denying climate change would be like turkeys voting for christmas."

My source added: "There seems to be a general scepticism among students... I think UEA on the whole is standing by the "we did nothing wrong" line."

"We" being those staff not employed by the CRU.

I think it's unlikely that the UEA will throw the CRU under the bus, but less unlikely than it seemed before I received that communication.

If anyone finds this googling and has anything to add, I do preserve anonymity of sources.